RSS chief under attack for his ‘Hindus’ remark

SummaryRSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday came in for flak from non-BJP parties for his suggestion that all Hindustanis are Hindus with many leaders wondering if he has read the Constitution and really believes in it.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday came in for flak from non-BJP parties for his suggestion that all Hindustanis are Hindus with many leaders wondering if he has read the Constitution and really believes in it.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said Bhagwat would be well-advised to read the Constitution which very specifically states that India is Bharat, a union of state, and the word “Hindustan” is nowhere mentioned.

Sitaram Yechury of CPI(M) said Bhagwat should make it clear if he believes in Constitution.

“He should make it clear if he believes in it. In our Constitution, the country is Bharat not Hindustan,” he told reporters.

JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said India has come so far since Independence by keeping its faith in the Constitution and its future lies in following the same course.

BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati while slamming Bhagwat said he does not have “proper knowledge” of the Constitution.

“When Ambedkar ji (Bhimrao Ambedkar) wrote the Constitution he kept in mind that our country comprises various religions and people follow them. So the name Bharat was given, the word Hindustan was not used. The RSS chief does not have proper knowledge of the Constitution. He should learn that and then comment,” she said.

Father Savrimuthu of Archdiocese of Delhi expressed concern over Bhagwat's comments, saying India is a pluralistic country but the RSS head has tried to put everybody under one

umbrella.

“Our nation is great and known for unity and diversity... Now you (RSS) are trying to make one nation, one religion, one culture, trying to put everybody under one

umbrella which is not right,” he said.

Seeking to downplay the row over Bhagwat's comments, BJP leader Vinay katiyar said, “what he(Bhagwat)mneant by 'Hindu' was 'Hindustani'. He never spoke about interfering in religious practices of people.”